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[too afraid to ask] Are leveling kits the new body lift?

rutherk1

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Or just new springs? That would keep the suspension limits/angles the same (controlled by the shocks) . Thats what I would wait for, the sas/bl shocks are really good units for oem.
Just getting taller springs won’t solve the issues with front end geometry you get from spacers. At the end of the day, any time you increase the distance between the the top of where your spring touches the strut mount, and the centerline of your hub, you are changing front end geometry. A small 1.5 inch change is usually fine, though.

This is why larger height systems drop the front diff unit down and usually don’t usually have a very much taller spring. You gain height by spacing the entire front end from the truck (like would happen in a solid axle truck) to allow a larger tire. You leave all oem front specs (except for the front drive axle. But that’s not usually a big deal).
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Frankie945

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Budget boost lift kit. Many people get one of these first than later move up to a real lift. Spacer kits are great way to save money and still have the factory ride quality. Just Say No to body lifts
 

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I've been out of the 4x4 game for ~20 years but back then we used to make fun of people that only had a body lift. Yeah they could run bigger tires but they didn't increase suspension travel or change spring rates/dampening.

When I look at the "leveling kits" and the spacer lifts it just looks like body lifts all over again. What am I missing?
Hell yes! Missing nothing! :p :ROFLMAO:

I'm going with the comment about stiffer springs. Stiffer springs will raise the ride height to allow for larger tires, but since the shock travel and mounting position stay the same it won't change the actual range of motion of the suspension. So, no binding of the upper control arm joint, or the CV's, or the steering. Get big tires and everything still works fine with little danger of excessive wear on any parts. Of course, it will ride like shit, but hey, who cares! You got the big tires, and that's the only point, right? (y)(y)

:cool:
 

Thed

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I mean it depends for much you're going up. If you're lifting 1/2" up front just to level out the stock height, then by all means go for it. Hell, I'll probably join you; the factory rake bothers the shit out of me.

But 2-4" spacers are a joke. If you're not increasing wheel travel, you're no better than the mall-crawler bro-dozers. All you want is to put your 22" Fuels on, and it shows.
 

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ZackDanger

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I've been out of the 4x4 game for ~20 years but back then we used to make fun of people that only had a body lift. Yeah they could run bigger tires but they didn't increase suspension travel or change spring rates/dampening.

When I look at the "leveling kits" and the spacer lifts it just looks like body lifts all over again. What am I missing?
Leveling kits are 100% aesthetic to “fix” the rake… at least with a body lift you can squeeze in bigger tires.

In the Jeep world leveling kits are the gateway mod to everything else. Someone gets their first jeep… joins a forum and thumbs through old threads, and finds out they can make it look “better” for $50.00…

The next step in their evolution to to start their very first thread titled: “Whats the biggest tire I can fit on stock suspension?”

Later in that same thread, they will learn that the “315” in “315/70r17” does not refer to the diameter… but it kind of does… it’s complicated…

Then they will learn what “Load E” means.

Their maturation will conclude when they realize that a spacer lift will “get them the same thing” as a coilover and UCA replacement, at a fraction of the cost…

And their last post on the forum will be them telling everyone who spent more than $200 on their lift “idiots.”

Ford Bronco [too afraid to ask] Are leveling kits the new body lift? 1630020845948
 
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Rick Astley

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On classis cbroncos you could put washers under the coils. Thats what leveling kits are. Only they cost more that $1.35.
We're talking the fancy grade-8 stainless fender washers here if we're going all the way into the $1.35 price bracket.

I can't hang with you ballers. I cut my own washer out of sheet metal scraps by hand.
 

Ryuk

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Body and engine lifts actually have a very important purpose.
They grant you height to allow you to raise the drivetrain.
 

North7

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Leveling kits are 100% aesthetic to “fix” the rake… at least with a body lift you can squeeze in bigger tires.

In the Jeep world leveling kits are the gateway mod to everything else. Someone gets their first jeep… joins a forum and thumbs through old threads, and finds out they can make it look “better” for $50.00…

The next step in their evolution to to start their very first thread titled: “Whats the biggest tire I can fit on stock suspension?”

Later in that same thread, they will learn that the “315” in “315/70r17” does not refer to the diameter… but it kind of does… it’s complicated…

Then they will learn what “Load E” means.

Their maturation will conclude when they realize that a spacer lift will “get them the same thing” as a coilover and UCA replacement, at a fraction of the cost…

And their last post on the forum will be them telling everyone who spent more than $200 on their lift “idiots.”

Ford Bronco [too afraid to ask] Are leveling kits the new body lift? 1630020845948
So why should I spend $5,000 on sasquatch then for a mini lift and one inch of tires, instead of $50 on spacers, will it give me a larger Blinker fluid reservoir?
 

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goatman

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Their maturation will conclude when they realize that a spacer lift will “get them the same thing” as a coilover and UCA replacement, at a fraction of the cost…

And their last post on the forum will be them telling everyone who spent more than $200 on their lift “idiots.”
Have you ever heard anyone on the internet post up that they did a modification or they bought and installed a part, and it was a bad idea and it sucked? Nope, I haven't either. :geek::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

Werkedperformance

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We're talking the fancy grade-8 stainless fender washers here if we're going all the way into the $1.35 price bracket.

I can't hang with you ballers. I cut my own washer out of sheet metal scraps by hand.
Pennies are the cheapest washer stock, bruh.
 

Bituman

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Not particularly relevant to OP’s question, but a body lift is a very common and useful mod to an early Bronco. Anybody that’s worked under an EB knows how tight things are around the tranny and transfer case. Even a 1-inch body lift makes working under there a whole lot easier. Most lifted EB’s tend to be a combo for this reason. In my case, a 3.5-inch suspension lift plus 1” body lift. I would not go any higher with just a body lift. Any higher and it messes with the steering column and you may have to lower the radiator to keep it aligned with the fan.
 

MaverickMan

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We're talking the fancy grade-8 stainless fender washers here if we're going all the way into the $1.35 price bracket.

I can't hang with you ballers. I cut my own washer out of sheet metal scraps by hand.
My first CJ7 actually had a wooden 2x4 body lift on it. Hockey pucks make the best body lift, but it takes guts to steal a dozen of em from hockey games! Its a federal offence north of the border.
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